- When is the exemption exam?
July 10-12 and 17-19, 2026
- How do I register for the exemption exam?
On July 1, an email will be sent to the primary email you indicated on your application and your Pitt email. If you do not receive this email, it may have gone to your junk folder.
- Who should take the exemption exam?
The exemption exam is available for students with a background in research.
- What are the benefits of passing the exemption exam?
Students will be awarded credits for the Generalist Research course. Academic advisors can help students understand how this impacts future registration options.
- What does it take to pass the exemption exam?
Each exemption exam consists of 75 questions multiple choice questions. Students must earn a score of 80% (at least 60 questions answered correctly) to pass the exam.
- If I take the exemption exam and do not pass, may I retake it?
A student may attempt each exemption exam only one time. Therefore, if you take an exemption exam and do not pass, you may not retake the exemption exam for that course.
- When taking the exemption exam, am I able to skip a question and return to it later, and/or go back and make changes to previous answers?
Yes, during the two hour period in which you take the exam, you will be able to skip questions, as well as go back and make changes to previous questions. You may not, however, leave the exam (or close your browser) and return to the exam at a later time.
- Should I prepare for the exam?
Yes, you should prepare. The exam is proctored and timed, and it is beneficial to have a solid working knowledge of the content areas.
- If I take an exemption exam and do not pass, is there any problem or is anyone notified besides me?
Only you and the staff person who registered you know if you took the exam. Your results are not shared with anyone else, and your course instructors will not know that you took it. The main risk/investment is your time.
- How will I know when the exemption exam is being offered?
Students who have been admitted to the MSW program and paid their deposit will receive an email at the beginning of July with instructions on exam registration. The exam will be offered July 10-12 and 17-19, 2026.
- How is the exam administered?
- The exam is administered through Canvas (canvas.pitt.edu), Pitt’s learning management platform. You must have a University of Pittsburgh email address in order to access Canvas.
- After you register to take the exam, you will be able to access the exam on the day you registered for only. Instructions will be sent to you about this in the days before the exam.
- Students take each exam remotely from the location of their choice.
- Exam is two hours long. Once the exam has begun, you must finish in two hours. You may not leave the exam and come back at a later time to finish.
- The online exam is not open book and are proctored by a remote proctoring service
- What should I do if I have a question during the exam?
If any technical issues arise during the exam, please contact Pitt’s IT Help Desk (24/7 IT Help Desk | Information Technology | University of Pittsburgh). If you experience technical issues that the IT Help Desk is unable to assist you with, notify the staff member who registered you by email on that day (if a business day), or the following business day if not.
- What should I do if I need accommodations for taking the exemption exam?
If you need an accommodation, please ask the Office of Disability Resources and Services (Disability Resources and Services) and notify us as well. We will work with you to accommodate you to the best of our abilities.
